1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image photographing apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image photographing apparatus provided with a display unit for displaying an image that is attached to the main body of the image photographing apparatus so that it may be opened and closed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an image photographing apparatus such as a camcorder records an image of a subject that is being photographed onto a recording medium (such as a tape, a hard disk, a CD, a memory card, or the like) and plays the recorded video data. To keep abreast with recent trends and technical advances in recording media, image photographing apparatuses now being developed are small, light, and use disks or memory cards. These image photographing apparatuses have a separate display unit in addition to a view finder a user (that is, a photographer) looks through to compose the scene. Here, the display unit displays an image being photographed by the image photographing apparatus, or displays the playback of a previously recorded image.
The main body of an image photographing apparatus has a mounting portion to which the display unit is attached so that it is openable and closable. On the mounting portion, the display unit in a closed state rotates back and forth about 90° with respect to a first axis, and the display unit in an open state also rotates with respect to a second axis that is substantially orthogonal to the first axis.
In other words, the display unit is installed in such a manner that its display surface either faces the mounting portion, or is positioned against the mounting portion.
The main body also includes a locking unit for locking the display unit, so that the display unit does not freely (or arbitrarily) open. Typically, the locking unit is installed at the display unit, or in the main body.
Meanwhile, a recording medium such as a memory card is usually inserted into the main body via a memory card slot. Unfortunately though, if the memory card slot is formed near the mounting portion, it is not easy to create a space for installing the locking unit in the main body. Therefore, the size of the main body is increased to accommodate the locking unit and as a result, the overall appearance of the image photographing apparatus may be unappealing.
Although the locking unit may be installed at the display unit, in that case the size of the display unit also has to be increased and the display unit may be unattractive.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved locking mechanism for a display unit in an image photographing apparatus.